A committee tasked with exploring the future of three Kingston secondary schools met Tuesday to assess the value of each school in the community.

Kingston Collegiate, which opened its doors on Frontenac Street in 1915, Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Loyalist Collegiate are among five schools in central Kingston whose viability is being evaluated by the Limestone District School Board's program and accommodation review committee.

Two elementary schools are also under review - Module Vanier (French immersion for Grades 7 and 8), which is located in Kingston Collegiate, and Calvin Park Public School (Grades 7 and 8), which is located in Loyalist Collegiate.

More than 30 members of the review commmittee attended the meeting Tuesday, which was held in the gymnasium of the aging Kingston Collegiate.

Like many schools across the province, Kingston Collegiate, which boasts alumni such as Don Cherry and members of The Tragically Hip, faces declining enrolment and rising costs to operate the 15,467-square-metre building.

With close to a billion dollars in funding needing to address aging infrastructure between the central Kingston schools, the purpose of the review is to find ways to cut costs and maximize resources.

"Unfortunately, the declining enrolment is a reality for us," said committee chair Laurie French.

French explained that since the review is in its early stages, it is unknown what options the board will consider.

When the board consolidated other schools in its district in previous years, she said many options were considered, including redistributing students to existing schools.

French said the schools will be evaluated on specific criteria, including value to the local economy, value to students, historical designation and financial viability.

The board has hired Ottawa-based Stantec Consulting Ltd. to conduct an audit of the buildings that has included engineering advice and costing estimates.

At the meeting Tuesday, the committee, which includes six-person subcommittees representing each school, reviewed a chart outlining estimated costs to address the current backlog of large capital projects at the three high schools, as well as at the board's community education centre in the Calvin Park building.

The consulting firm estimated the cost to address overdue capital projects at Kingston Collegiate to be more than $20 million. The cost to fund capital projects in the next 10 years, as well as to upgrade the school to make it more accessible, is estimated to be another $5.7 million.

For Loyalist Collegiate, the cost to fund the current backlog of renewal projects is estimated to be $11.9 million, with future upgrades expected to cost $11.8 million.

For Queen Elizabeth Collegiate, the firm estimated the total cost for renewal projects and upgrades to be $21.6 million.

The lowest cost estimate was for the community education centre, with projects estimated to cost the board $9.2 million.

The consulting firm also provided the committee a detailed physical assessment of each building, including their architectural and structural conditions.

For example, the firm recommended the board address a number of aging features at Kingston Collegiate - from replacing bricks on exterior walls to replacing the single-glazed windows that line the building's facade.

The committee will use the information provided by the consulting firm, as well as financial information, enrolment details and input from the public to compile information profiles on each of the schools to assist the group in creating options for the future of the properties.

French said the next step will be to hold four public meetings at which residents can present their concerns and give input to the committee.

Until now, information received from the public has been through written correspondence or an online survey, she said.

So far, she said, the group has received a number of letters from residents supporting their respective schools.

"There is obviously a love in the community for our schools," she said. "And that's a good thing."

The first public meeting will be held on Feb. 9, with the public having an opportunity to review the information profiles two weeks prior to the meeting.

Consultants reports, enrolment profiles and financial reports for each institution can be viewed on the board's website at www.limestone.on.ca.